Conveying apparatus.



Patented Dec. 9. I902.

F. R. FRENCH. CONVEYING APPARATUS.

(Appiication filed Sept. 11 1901.)

5 Shaets- Sheet 1.

(No Model) Patented Dec. 9 i902.

Application filed Sept. 11. 1901.) I

5 Shaeiv-Shaet 2.

( la Model.)

Patented Dec. 9. 902.

No. 7|5,47l.

F. R. FRENCH.

CONVEYING APPARATUS.

Appligntian filed Sept. 11, 1901.;

5 Sheets-Sheet 3.

(No Modei.)

H Pu N E R rr. B F

CONVEYING APPARATUS.

(Application filed Snpt. 11, 1901) 5 Sheeis-Sheet 4.

(No Model.)

THE our *ETEM cc., mama firm, wAsvamvron, a. c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFF CE.

FREDERICK R. FRENCH, OF SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA.

CONVEYlNG APPARATUS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 715,471, dated December9, 1902.

Application filed deptemher 11, 1901. Serial No. 75,067. (1V0 model.)

To all whom, it ntay concern.-

Be it known that I, FREDERICK R. FRENCH, a citizen of the United States,residing in the city and county of San Francisco, State of California,have invented an Improvement in Conveying Apparatus; and I herebydeclare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of thesame.

My invention relates to improvements in transportation systems wherebyit is desired to convey by means of suspended cables a burden in eithera longitudinal, transverse, or vertical direction in relation to acertain surface area.

It consists of suspended cables, a burdencarrier adapted to be supportedupon and to be moved by said cables, independent falllines whereby theburden may be deposited or taken up at any point, means for supportingsaid fall-lines, and means for operating the lines and cables.

It also comprises an automatic discharging device and details which willbe more fully explained hereinafter, having reference to theaccompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a side elevation of aconveyer transporting only between two points. Fig. 2 is a side view ofthe trolley. Fig. 3 is an end view of the same. Fig. dis an end view,partiallyinsection,ofafall-linecarrier. Fig. 5 is a bottom view of thesame. Fig. 6 is a plan view of a conveyor operating between four points.Fig. 7 is an end elevation of the same. Fig. 8 is a side view of itstrolley-carrier. Fig. 9 is'a side view of the respective trolley. Fig.10 is a top view of'the same. Fig. 11 is an end view of its fall-linecarrier. Fig. 12 is an end view of the fall-block. Fig. 13 is a verticalsection of the same on line y y, Fig. 12. Fig. 12. Fig. 15 is a planview substantially similar to Fig. 6 and showing more clearly the cable46. Fig. 16 is an enlarged side view of a carrier-E.

In my present invention I have shown two forms of conveyingapparatus-one wherewith transportation in a longitudinal direction onlyis desired and one wherewith a burden may be carried eitherlongitudinally or transversely over a certain superficial area. In bothsystems, however, I use an independent fall-line to raise or lower theburden, and

Fig. 14 is a similar view on line was,

this fall-line forms an important feature in my invention.

Fig. 1 represents a cable-way operating between two supports Aand A. Bisan engine having a large drum 2 and a small drum 3, which drums areindependently revoluble. The inhaul and onthaul cables are shown by 4and 5, which pass from opposite sides of the drum 2 over respectivesheaves 6 and 7 in the tower A. The former cable passes underneath thetrolley-sheave 8, thence around a large sheave 9 in tower A, andattaches to the frame of the trolley C at 10. The cable 5 attaches tothe frame on the opposite side at 11. The cables 4 and 5 may be eithersepa rate cables secured to the drum or consist of a single cable woundseveral times around the drum to prevent slipping. By means of thesecables the load is transmitted in either direction along the linebetween the towers, the upper cable serving to support the load and alsoact as an outhaul-cable. Cable 5 is the inhauhcable, as it is termed, orcable which moves the load toward the engine. An auxiliarysupporting-cable is shown at 12. This cable is stationary and is securedto the two towers and supports a second trolleysheave 8. To this-cableare secured the fallline carriers, which will be described later on. Theraising, lowering, and dumping of the load is accomplished by means ofthe ca ble 13 or fall-line, as it is termed, which has one end securedto the drum. 3. From this drum it passes over a sheave 14 in the towerA, thence over the pulleys 15 in the trolley-carrier, and has its otherend fastened to the tower A. The fall-block D, carrying the burden, issupported on the cable 13 intermediate of the pulleys 15. The trolley Cconsists of a triangular frame carrying at its apex the sheave 8 and onits base the fall line sheaves 15. The frame is provided with .an upwardextension, which carries the sheave 8, which latter rests upon the cable4.

The operation of the cables would be as follows: To accomplish a motionin a horizontal direction, the large drum is revolved in a directionopposite to the line of desired travel, the small drum remainingstationary for the time being, whereby the burden remains at the samedistance above the ground. The revolution of the large drum to theright,

length of the cable.

for example, causes the cable 4 to pay out and the cable 5correspondingly to be wound up and the burden made to move to the left.To raise or lower the burden, the drum 3 is revolved either to take inor pay out the cable 13. It should be understood, however, that bothmovements may take place simultaneously, in which case the burden ismoved diagonally. The fall-line carriers E, previously referred to, are,as the name designates, for the purpose of sustaining the fall-line incase of a light load or of no load at all. and where the burden orfall-block may not be heavy enough to overhaul the fall-line andovercome the strain, as in the case where long spans occur. As thetrolley O traverses the distance between the towers it is necessary thatsome provision be made for it to pass these fall-line carriers. This isaiforded by the following construction, as shown in Fig. 4: A carrierconsists, essentially, of a base portion 16, by which the device issecured fast to the supporting-cable 12. This base portion isrepresented in Figs. 2 and 4 as comprising two separable members,between which the cable is held in a bight and securely clamped thereto.By attaching the carrier in this manner the cable 12 preservespractically an unbroken line, so as to permit the trolley-sheave 8 topass freely along the Arms 17 are pivoted on the base 16 and are movableon their pivots at right angles to the line of the cables. At the lowerends of the arms the roller or sheave 18 is carried, and the fall-lineis supported on this sheave. One end of the shaft of the latter issecured firmly to one of the arms, and the other arm is provided with asocket, which is adapted to receive the other end of the shaft. Theroller is free to turn on the shaft. The arms are normally held togetherat their lower ends by means of a spring 19. The edges of the lower partof the arms are made flaring, so as to permit the arms to be readilyopened when the trolley approaches. The trolley C has a shield 20, whichincloses the upper part of the sheaves 15, a narrow slot being left ateach end for the passage of the fall-line. As the flaring arms 17 of thefallline carrier are approached by the trolley O the shield 20 forcesthem apart and causes them to pass on either side of the shield andbetween the sides of the trolley-frame. The

moment the shield has passed through or the trolley passed beyond thecarrier the arms are closed by means of the spring 19, and the sheave 18is once more in position to support the fall-line. Guards 21 upon thetrolleyframe serve to deflect the cable 12 into the sheave 8 in case forany reason the shield should be displaced. As thus described thisapparatus is capable of transporting burdens either in a horizontal lineor in a vertical direction. Having transported the burden to or over adesired place, it is there necessary to discharge it. It is the purposeof my invention to effect this discharge automatically and in anydesired plane.

by means of the fall-line and devices to be hereinafter described.

In the foregoing I have described an apparatus for conveying loadsbetween two points only. In Figs. 6 and 7 I have shown the same adaptedto operate over a certain given area The engine B is provided with fourdrums 38 39 4O 41. The two drums 38 and 39 are revoluble in unison. Thefirst carries the inhaul and outhaul cables 4 and 5, which operate thetrolley-carrier 0 upon one side of the system, and the second carriessimilar cables 4 and 5, which operate the trolley-carrier C on the otherside of the system. The operation of these carriers is similar to thatof the trolley Oin Fig. 1 first described. To accomplish a movement in adirection transverse to the line of the cables 4 and 5', the drum 40 isrevolved to wind up the cable 42 simultaneously with the unwinding ofcable 43. The cable 42 leads from the under side of the drum 40, over asheave in tower A, around a sheave in trolley-carrier C thence around asheave 44 in the trolley F, returning through a second sheave in thetrolley-carrier O and thence to tower A where it is made fast. The cable43 is disposed similarly on the other side of the system. The fall-line13 is operated by the drum 41. This line leads from the drum over asheave in the tower A through the fall-rope carriers E,secured uponcables 12, extending between the towers A A around a sheave in trolley0, through a second set of fall-rope carriers E over a sheave 45 in thetrolley F,thence through the fall-block D, returning around anothersheave 45 in trolley F, thence through the trolley C to tower A where itis made fast. Extending from tower A, through the trolley-carriers C andO to tower A is a cable 46 (see Fig. 15) for the purpose of guiding thefall-rope carriers E when the trolleys O and O approach them. Thefall-line carriers E are in principle similar to those described withreference to Figs. 4 and 5. When used in connection with thetransversely-operating cables, they comprise a shaft 47, having tworollers 48, which rest on the two portions of either of the cables 42and 43. They are held always in the same place in relation to each otherand to the trolleys O and C by means of the spacing-cables 12*, whichlatter are fastened to the trolleys O and C The arms 17 of the carrierare pivoted to the ends of the frame 19. The lower ends of these armscarry a roller 18, similarly as in Fig. 4. A spring 19 keeps these armsnormally closed. Guides, as 49, serve to keep the carrier in place uponthe moving cables 42. The upper blocks of the trolley F carry flexibletracks 50 continuous with the lines of the cables 42 and 43, so that thetrolley F may pass readily through the carriers as the trolley movesacross the area. The tracks 50 are made broad and flaring, so that theywill act as guides or as a shield to spread the arms and allow theblocks 44 and 45' to pass therebetween and at the same time serve as asupport for the rollers 48. After the trolley F has passed through thecarrier the arms close by reason of the'spring 19 and the fall linerests again on the roller 18'. The fall-block D may be provided with anautomatic unloading device, as hereinafterdescribed. By means of thisapparatus a burden may be picked up at any point within the area betweenthe towers A A A A and transferred in any direction to any other pointwithin the area and there deposited.

It is to be noted that the stationary cables 12, 12, 12 and 46 areprincipally used in connection with the fall-line carriers E E E It hasbeen one of the chief objects in myinvention to eliminate the feature ofstanding cables to support the weight, as is common in these systems.

In my system the cables that move the load also sustain it, and the useof the independent fall-lines is to obviate intricacy and allowflexibility in manipulation. It will, however, be understood that theindependent fall-ropes and carriers as here described may also be usedin conjunction with fixed or standing cables.

In order to dump or discharge a load at any desired point, I have shownan apparatus which is operated in conjunction with the fall-rope and thesheave 24, around which it passes. The sheave 24 is turnable about itsshaft 25, and a bevel-gear 26 is loosely turnable on thissame shaft.Between the adjacent faces of the sheave and frame is a ratchetand-pawlmechanism 27, whereby the beveled gear-wheel 26 will revolve with thesheave when the lattertnrns in one direction and will remain stationarywhen the sheave turns in the other direction. Asprocket-wheel 28 isarranged in the block below the sheave 24, audits shaft carries atoneend a gear-wheel 29. A worm-shaft 30 is adapted to transmit motion fromthe gear 26 to the gear 29. The load containing pan 22 is hung upon thechains 31, so that the forward chains connect to the pan at pointsnearer the center of the pan, whereby the weight isthrown toward therear and the tendency of the pan to tilt downwardlyin frontiscounteracted. These chains join to a single chain 32, which passes overthe sprocket-wheel28. One of the links of the chain 32 is provided witha hook or projection 33, which is adapted to engage a stop 3% andprevent the pan tipping backward beyond a certain desired point.

In operation the pan is filled with material and the load lifted andmoved to any desired point, the sheave 24 revolving freely in one,

direction when the load is raised or moved forward, because the pawldoes not engage the ratchet. When it is desired to dump the load, it isonly necessary to reverse the direction of revolution of the sheave 24,whereupon the gear 26 will be turned, causing the sprocket 28 to rotatein the direction of the front end of the pan, and the pawl engaging theratchet turns with the sprocket and allows the chain to move, so as totilt the pan and discharge its contents. The reversal of the directionof movement of the sheave Qiis elfect'ed simply by paying out thefall-line'and'allowing the load to descend a certain distance or byreversing its direction. It is thus seen that the act of discharge is apositive movement; but by reason of the pawl mechanism 27 and thepeculiar manner ofhanging the pan or bucket the latter will beautomatically right-ed when lowered, so that the front strikes theground where a new load is to be taken, the pawl allowing the ratchet onthe sprocket-shaft to turn as the chain moves over it.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, is"

l. The combination of a pair of trolley-carriers; traction ropesconnected therewith; I

means supporting said trolley-carriers and forming a trackway therefor;a trolley intermediate of the pair of trolley-carriers and suspended byand between the supporting means thereof; and a fall-line.

2. The combination of oppositely-located trolley carriers; traction-ropes connected therewith; a trackway for each of said trol-'ley-carriers; a trolley located between opposite trolley-carriers andsuspended from the supporting means thereof; and a fall-line andactuating mechanism.

3. In a transportation system, the combination of supports or towers atthe ends of the line, a rope fixedly suspended between said supports,inhaul and outhaul ropes and a winding mechanism connected therewith, atrolley suspended upon the outhaul-rope and having its opposite sidesconnecting with the ends of both hauling-ropes, said stationary ropealso passing through the trolley, a fall line passing through saidtrolley, and upon which a burden may be supported said fallline havingone end connected to one of the end supports, or towers, a windingmechanism connected to the other end of the fallline, and meansincluding carriers having gripping members to engage a bight of thestationary rope, for supporting the fall-rope therefrom.

4. In atransportation system, the combination of supports or towers atthe ends of the line, a rope fixedly secured between said supports,inhaul and outhaul ropes'and a winding mechanism therefor, a trolleysuspended upon one of said hauling-ropes and havingits opposite sidesconnected with the terminals of both ropes, a fall-rope passing throughthe trolley and having one end fixed and an intermediate portion forminga loop,from which a burden may be suspended, an operating mechanism forthe other end of the fall-rope, and fall-rope-supportingdevices pendentfrom the first-named stationary rope and-suspending the fall-ropedirectly therefrom, said supporting devices clamping bights of thestationary rope whereby said rope preserves practically an unbroken lineto permit the free passage of the trolley.

5. In a system of the character described, the combination of towers orsupports at the terminals of the line, a member fixed to and suspendedbetween said terminals, inhaul and outhaul ropes and operating mechanismfor said hauling-ropes suspended between said terminals, a trolleyconnected to the haulingropes, a fall-rope from which the burden may besuspended said rope having one end fixed at one of the terminals, or endsupports, and a mechanism to wind and unwind the opposite end of saidfall-rope, and carriers clamped to bights formed in the said fixedsuspended member whereby the fall-rope is supported at points in itslength directly from the said fixed member.

6. The combination with hauling-ropes,end supports therefor, and atrolley, of a rope fixedly suspended between the said end supports, afall-line extending between the end supports, having one end fixed,devices pendent from the fixed rope and clamping folded portions thereofand directly supporting the fall-rope at points in its length, and meansfor operating the hauling-ropes and fall-line.

7. In a transportation system, the combination of inhaul and outhaulcables, trolleycarriers with which said cables connect on oppositesides, supports for said cables, means for operating the cables inunison, an independently-operating fall-line passing through saidtrolley-carriers and having its portion which extends transverse to thearea inclosed by said supports, adapted to sustain a burden, and meansfor horizontally supporting said fall-line.

8. The combination with inhaul and outhaul ropes, a trolley suspendedtherefrom, a fall-line extending through the trolley to oppositesupports, and a burden -carrier suspended from the fall-line, of a fixedcable,

carriers upon which the fall-line is supported,

said carriers each havingaclamp for the cable and said fixed cablehaving a bight formed in it adapted to be held. between the clamps.

9. The combination with inhaul and outhaul ropes, a trolley suspendedtherefrom, a fall-line extending through the trolley and aburden-carrier suspended from the fall-line, of a fixed cable, carrierswith sheaves upon which the fall-line is supported upon each side of thetrolley, clamps and a bight formed in the stationary cable by which thecable and the carriers are secured together, and means by which thetrolley may pass the carriers in either direction.

10. A transportation system consisting in the combination of sets ofinhaul and outhaul cables, supports therefor, a trolley with which thecables of each set are connected, said cables adapted to operate inunison so that the trolleys are moved in a longitudinal and in the samedirection, a burden-carrier located intermediate of said trolleys andmovable in unison therewith, and an independent fallline in connectiontherewith, and having its outer end fixedly secured.

11. The combination in a conveying apparatus of parallel travelingcables and supports, trolleys connected with the cables and movableoutwardly or inwardly in unison, fall-ropes essentially parallel withthe cables, sheaves upon the trolleys over which said ropes pass, and aburden suspended therefrom, and a supplemental fixed cable with carriersfixed thereto, and through which carriers the fall-rope passes.

12. The combination in a conveying apparatus of main traveling cablesand supports therefor, a trolley movable by said traveling cable, acable fixed between said end supports, a fall-rope and means carried bythe fixed cable for suspending the fall-rope horizontally, means bywhich a burden is suspended and raised and lowered, and acentrally-balanced tilting mechanism between the fall-rope and the loadwhereby the load is discharged by the movements of the rope.

13. The combination in a conveying apparatus of main traveling cables, atrolley movable thereby, a fall-rope by which a load is suspended fromthe trolley, and means for discharging the load by the movements of therope, said means consisting ofa sheave around which the rope passes, asprocket journaled in the same frame with the sheave, a chain passingaround the sprocket and having its ends connected with the load-carrier,and connections whereby the rotation of the ropesheave turns thechain-sprocket.

14.. The combination with the fall-rope of a conveying apparatus, of ajournaled sheave around which the rope passes, a sprocket journaled inthe same frame, a load-carrier and chains connected therewith andpassing over the sprocket, a worm-gear by which the sprocket is turned,a gear turnable upon the sheave-shaft and engaging a pinion upon theworm, and a pawl and ratchet by which transmission of movement in onedirection is allowed.

15. The combination with the fall-rope of a conveying apparatus, of asheave around which the rope passes, a gear upon the sheaveshaft, aninterlocking device by which movement of the sheave is transmitted inone direction only, a chain and a load-carrier with which it isconnected, a sprocket journaled withrelation to the sheaveover whichsprocket the chain passes, a gear upon the sprocketshaft, andinterlocking mechanism by which movement in one direction is allowed, aworm engaging said gear, and a pinion on the wormshaft engaged andturnable by the gear on the sheave-shaft.

In witness whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

FREDERICK R. FRENCH.

